The Vow
by prophecypumpkin
Summary: Jean once vowed to help mutanthuman relations. The man she loves asked her to give up her life with the XMen. She did. Now she's not sure she made the right decision. Will she return to fulfill her vow? Set 6 months after she graduated High School.
1. The Vow

**The Vow**

Jean Grey was never one to sit around and do nothing. This was especially true when she _knew_ there was something important she should be doing. _So why am I just lying here? _Images flashed through her mind rapidly. _Oh yeah, that's why. _Jean rolled out of bed and looked out the window. The sun was setting on the horizon. This was one of her favourite times of day, when the weather was just the right way to cause the sky to reflect the beautiful colours of dusk.

These moments usually made her unintentionally levitate as her mind wandered with thoughts of drifting through the skies and soaking in the serenity. Looking down she unhappily found her feet still planted firmly on the ground. Jean sighed deeply, hoping the desolation she felt would rush out with her breath. She hated this feeling. It was clear what it was. Students across the globe felt it whenever they _weren't _doing an assignment that was due in a day or so; procrastination.

Jean looked back at the man sleeping in her bed and sighed again. For months now she felt the tension. Something was changing, something out there. She looked out over the landscape surrounding the cottage she lived in with her husband. They married six months ago. She loved him so deeply, he understood her better then anyone. Well almost anyone, Scott understood her too, although he had made his choice. Then Jean did also.

Casting her mind over the horizon Jean sensed the imminent battle her former X-Men team-mates were about to face without her. She pledged herself to the X-Men once, to her it was a solemn vow. That she gave it up to be with her husband never sat well with her. She thought she could ignore it but in time the feeling grew stronger. She knew where she _should _be and what she should be doing. Not for the first time she wondered if this love was worth it? She didn't know if she could be with a man who wanted her to renounce her duty; her abilities. _Sigh. _Jean sensed the X-Men wouldn't survive this next mission without her.

A tingle crossed her senses. Jean snapped her head up to look at the horizon. The time had come.

"Jean? Honey, what are you looking at?"

"The sunset; I guess we slept all afternoon." Jean smiled at him.

"Oh, guess your right there, babe. So are you going to get dinner ready soon?" Jean took a deep breath and looked out over the sunset again.

"No. I just realised something."

"Oh. What?"

"I love you so deeply. I don't see myself _not _loving you. But this love is selfish. What I'm doing here- it's not right. They need me."

"What? Jean, we've been through this over and over again. We both decided-"

"I know! I've change my mind. I want to be married to you, but we need to change. We can't go on like this. And I need to be with the X-Men. I _need _to be doing something that _means_ something!"

"I suppose our marriage means nothing?!"

"Of course it means something! To us! Only to us, don't you see? I can't be here when I know there are people who need help! I can't. I just can't! Please understand?" Jean had no tears because she wasn't upset, she just wanted him to understand her reasons. Her mind was set and she'd leave whether he understood her or not.

"I know you feel like you're obligated to help them or something, but you're not. Don't you see that, Jean? You don't owe anybody anything. It's not wrong to help yourself, to have what you want." His voice was soft, he was trying to be convincing. He always spoke so differently when they were alone. His California-sufer-dude colloquialisms gone. It was something she loved about him, something he only shared with her. But none of that fluff outweighed the vow she had made, or the responsibility she felt.

Jean wasn't convinced. "Yes it is. It's wrong to _have_ at other people's expense and I won't do this anymore. We live in this world too so we share responsibility for it, just like everybody else."

"More of that Xavier crap! Don't spin it on me, Jean. I've heard it before. Why don't you tell me the real reason you want to go back?"

Jean wouldn't fall into this trap again. He did this every time she brought this up; his trump card; Scott. Well that was his insecurity and Jean suddenly didn't care what he thought.

"The real reason is that _everyday_ I'm feeling guiltier because I'm here living this life of ignorance, but I'm _not_ ignorant. I know what's happening in the world. I should be out there doing my part. Not hiding in the woods with my husband. _This _life is selfish. I'm sorry that you don't trust me, but we're not going to get very far in our marriage if you can't get over your jealousy of Scott. I'm with you; I _want_ to be with you. But we can't stay out here anymore. If we go back to the city, you'll see that you're the one I love. Maybe you and Scott can become a family again."

"Enough! I've made up my mind, we both chose this life and we'll stick to our decision."

"No, Alex, I won't."

"What are you saying?"

"I'm saying I love you, and I'll come back to you always. But right now I need to go and help the X-Men." Jean turned to look back out the window. "I need to leave soon if I'm going to make it back in t-"

Suddenly there was pain as a burning red energy hit her in the side. Jean was sprawled on the grass outside the cabin slightly dazed. She hadn't been expecting him to attack her to make her stay; an ultimatum maybe but not this.

"You're not leaving, Jean. This will be the last time we have this conversation." Alex stood on the grass over her now. His voice and body trembled. Behind him the window to the cottage was broken where Jean had been blasted through. Surprisingly Jean wasn't cut. _Protective shields, thank goodness for that._ Jean telekinetically lifted herself to a standing position. Alex's hands began to glow with red plasmic energy.

"Yes. I am, Alex." They were only a few feet apart but Jean's telekinesis stopped the plasmic blast inches from her chest. Jean was hurt that he would attack her. She was also pissed. Jean held onto the plasmic energy even after Alex had stopped firing it at her. Alex's right eye seemed to twitch for a second.

"I won't be coming back here after the battle. If you want to be with me then you'll find me waiting at the Institute. If we survive the battle I'll be there two months. If you don't come to be with me after that; we're over." Jean sent the energy towards the hill side and ignored the explosion.

"Jeanie-"

"Don't ever try that again." Jean lifted herself into the air and was out of sight in seconds. _Maybe if I'm fast enough I'll catch up to the sunset._

**End.**


	2. Fulfilled

All Jean heard was the sound of the wind rushing by as she sailed through the clouds. Under cover of darkness Jean navigated the cities skyscrapers. The airport was her destination.

**

"Hi, can I have your name and destination please?" The woman was friendly and in any other situation Jean would have felt guilty for what she was about to do.

Scanning the attendant's mind Jean ensured herself tickets on the next available flight to New York. She would donate the price of the ticket to a charity.

**

Cyclops lay battered on the bitumen, his visor lay out of reach and his eyes tightly closed. Jean had arrived just in time to crush the mental monstrosity about to flatten Scott where he lay.

"Jean!" Jean turned and saw Storm flying through the air towards her.

"Jean?" Scott was on his knees patting the ground in search of his visor. With a thought they sailed from into his hands. Their eyes met and she they shared warm grins. "You came back!"

In the distance screams rang out, and the rumbling sound of more giant robots could be heard.

"I thought the Sentinel program was dissolved?" The X-Men had fought this battle already, alongside the Brotherhood, and won. Were they doomed to fight forever, she wondered.

"It was, but not all the files were destroyed. These machines are not the same as the Sentinels we've faced before," said Storm, her light African accent sounded like honey to Jeans ears. She had missed her friends so much. "These beasts are under Magneto's control."

**

The battle had been hard and painful but in the end, with Jean's help, the X-Men were victorious once again.

It had been six weeks since the attack and human-mutant relations were not improving. The general community was outraged and the X-Men were often called away to protect persecuted mutants.

Jean had not heard from Alex and his time was running up. Scott, it seems, was hell bent on making amends to Jean. She held no grudge against Scott for rejecting her but didn't mind the attention. She realised that she still often thought of Scott while she was married to his brother and guilt burned her heart over it, she couldn't blame Alex for his jealousy when it had some foundation.

Scott had been one of her closest friends. She hoped rather then believed his feelings were platonic now. She would not forsake her vows to Alex now that Scott realised his true feelings for her.

**

Less than a week later, after a particularly intense mission, Jean walked into her room to find Alex sitting on her bed. It was a testament to how troubled her thoughts were that she did not sense him earlier.

He looked the picture of desolation and regret as he stood silently in front of her. Jean searched his eyes and his mind before a tear escaped her eyes. She found the what she was looking for; the regret he felt, the hours he spent soul searching over his jealousy, the resolve to change and the hope of forgiveness.

"Oh Alex." Jean through herself into his arms and held him tightly. Jean knew no human was perfect, she included. Closing her eyes she listened as he recalled his wedding vows and felt at home.

_Jean, I walked this Earth a thousand years, and lived a hundred lives. I am honoured you have chosen to spend this life with me. I vow to love you always, through hardships and fortunes, through sickness and health. I hope we walk this Earth together another hundred lifetimes. _

The end.

**

Please review.

AN: This chapter was for VengefulKris, the only person to subscribe to it.


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